World's best sailing photo – Malta photographer Kurt Arrigo leaned out of a helicopter to capture this stunning picture of the Rolex Volcano Race, winner of the World Yacht Racing Forum Image of the Year competition.

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Second place – Ian Roman's dramatic image of sailors battling the waves during the Volvo Ocean Race was awarded second place.

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Third place – Two-time award winner Thierry Martinez had hoped to pick up his third trophey with this image of a yacht during the Vendee Globe race. Instead, he was awarded third place.

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Fourth place – Tom Gruitt's photo of sailing competitors lining up for the 2012 London Olympics was awarded fourth place. Leading the pack was gold medalist Ben Ainslie, also one of the judges in the photography awards.

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Fifth place – This vaguely comical image of a sailor struggling to get on board a wayward boat earnt Matias Capizzano fifth place.

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Stunning sunset – The prestigious competition attracted 46 submissions from around the world. Photographer Ainhoa Sanchez captured this serene moment during the Platu 25 World Championship in Italy.

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Breathtaking views – The fifth annual photography competition was only open to professional photographers. Here, Chris Schmind captures the varied blue hues of the Bol d'Or Mirabaud.

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Hairy moments – Photographer Christophe Favreau said Arrigo's winning photo would have been impossible to capture with slow film cameras 20 years ago. Favreau's own submission was of a toubled skiff during the Expresso International Regatta.

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Storm brewing – Sailors brace for a storm during the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in this photo by Dallas Kilponen.

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Vast ocean – This haunting image of a lone yacht off the coast of Brittany, France, during the Vendee Globe race, was submitted by photographer Jesus Renedo.

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Battling the elements – "It's an investment to have the right camera equipment that can withstand the salt water," award organizer Bernard Schopfer said. Photographer Hamish Hooper was well prepared when he took this image of sailors battling waves in the Southern Ocean.

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Sea spray – Ronald Koelink's action-packed photo of competitors during a practice-run of the Volvo Ocean Race in Cape Town earlier this month.

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Point of view – Photographer Jen Edney gets down low to take this unusual angle of Team France training ahead of the America's Cup.

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Tide turn – Photography competitors were judged on technical elements such as clarity, lighting, composition, and also originality. Here, sailors hold tight during the Soto 40 South American Championships, taken by Luis Fernandez.

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Picture perfect – "It's not about capturing what everyone else saw, it's about creating what no-one else could see," said photographer Marc Bow, who submitted this painterly image.

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Serious sailing – Resembling a black space ship, the U.S. team's yacht during the America's Cup was captured by photographer Guilain Grenier from a helicopter.

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Filmic photos – Competitors in this year's Les Voiles de St Tropez cling on to their boat in this otherworldly image by Patrick Le Galloudec.

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Water works – Ulf Sommerwerck took this unusual water-level shot during the International Sailing Federation World Cup in Mallorca, Spain.

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Drama on the seas – Team USA capsize during the America's Cup in this dramatic image by photographer Sander van der Borch. The team went on to win the prestigious race.

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A difficult job – "Sailing photography is a very difficult job. But it also offers you the chance to travel to exciting destinations," Bernard Schopfer, one of the organizers of the awards, said. This image was submitted by photographer Tani Simberg.

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Story highlights

Malta photographer Kurt Arrigo wins World Yacht Racing Forum Image of the Year

Picture of competitors in Rolex Volcano Race praised by judges for originality

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"We were leaving the area but I asked the pilot of the helicopter to fly back briefly over the leading boat -- that's when I took this photograph."

Veteran racing photographer Christian Février said the image would have been impossible 20 years ago, as film cameras would have struggled to capture a yacht racing so quickly with the same stunning level of clarity.

"The reflection at twilight in the hull was interesting. But the importance of the crew creates a second point of interest," he said of the lauded image.

The fifth annual competition, sponsored by Mirabaud & Cie Private Bankers, is only open to professional photographers, this year attracting 46 of the best racing images from 2012.

The spectacular photos captured some of the biggest events in the sailing calendar, from brutal waves bombarding competitors in the America's Cup to the festive atmosphere of the London Olympics.

Competitors were judged on technical elements such as clarity, lighting, composition, and also originality.

"If you look at the images, hardly any could be taken by someone who's not heavily involved in the industry," Bernard Schopfer, one of the organizers of the event, said.

"Very often you have to be hanging out of a helicopter with no door or on board the racing boat in extremely violent conditions. It's also an investment to have the right equipment that can withstand the salt water."

Ben Ainslie, who won his fourth sailing Olympic gold at London 2012, also sat on the panel, adding that the moving photographs had "paid a great tribute to the variety and richness of the sport of sailing."

Arrigo, who has already published two photography books on his native Malta, was awarded a trophy at the event.